Neutralizing movements that undermine the work of patriotic Americans to
preserve freedom.

Extracts from a publication of
The John Birch Society written by Don Fotheringham.

(1) PARTISAN POLITICS

'Patriotism means to stand by
the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public
official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country'.
- Theodore Roosevelt. (pictured at right)

'If political action alone, or
of itself, were the key to the solution of our problem, we would have solved
that problem long ago. We proceed on a solider and more permanent program which
includes political action, but without letting political action get out of
perspective'. - Robert Welch, The Neutralizers

Notwithstanding our Founding
Father's disdain for political parties, party machinery is in place and not
likely to go away. What George Washington called "the baneful spirit of party"
is a tendency toward party zeal and loyalty that so often exceeds loyalty to
country and adherence to principle. Party faithful tend to mistake party loyalty
for patriotism placing faithfulness to party leaders, platforms, or party unity
ahead of the principles of constitutional government.

At the highest levels of party
politics, "the baneful spirit of party" is not merely a tendency, it governs the
party system. Make no mistake about it, state parties and local units have
little or no influence over political action at the national level. The
leadership of the two major political parties is - and long has been - under the
control of the Insiders. Even though a party's national platform may contain a
number of principled, patriotic positions, with few exceptions the national
strategy follows a pattern established by the enemy. We believe that members of
the Birch Society should work within the party of their choice to nominate and
elect the best candidates and - where possible - help get correct principles
written into their party's official platform.

However, we offer a word of
caution : Political action cannot rescue a nation adrift in a sea of ignorance.
In order to get elected and remain in office, even the best politicians will
appeal to the public's existing level of understanding, rather than try to raise
that level to a higher standard. Without the support of sufficient numbers of
informed voters, few politicians will keep promises to limit government to its
proper role. Instead, they find themselves walking a line designed to appease
the uninformed voter. Successful political action will be the result of correct
information. Good candidates cannot be elected, or retained in office, by voters
who cannot distinguish between a charlatan and a statesman or between a
worthwhile cause and a pretext for power. Therefore, our first priority must be
to invest our time and resources in building greater understanding of the
principles of Americanism and of the forces working to obscure and destroy those
principles.

Time and money invested in
educating our friends is never wasted, whereas time and money spent getting out
the vote or promoting a candidate is nearly always lost. This is true, even when
our favorite candidate wins the election. For if he honors his oath of office
and adheres to correct principles, he will not be understood or appreciated by
the voting majority in his district, and the media will surely work to destroy
him prior to the next election.

(2) Wild Speculation.

'Our only hope in the ultimate
fight is that we offer leadership which can be trusted' :Robert Welch

'The Society has built a
reputation for credibility based on solid research, and that credibility can be
quickly destroyed by crying "wolf" unnecessarily or prematurely". : William
F. Jasper

It is admittedly difficult to
expose the Master Conspiracy - its existence, record, and intent - even though a
great amount of information and history are available to document our claims.
For this reason, we urge our members to utilize for this task only what is known
and well documented regarding the purposes and tactics of the Conspiracy. Wild
statements to the effect that "Communists and conspirators are everywhere" must
be carefully avoided. Our enemies are not everywhere. They are but a small
number, even though their power and influence are very extensive. The Conspiracy
also persuades many more individuals to do its work, but most of these know
nothing about the Conspiracy and have no idea they are employed by it.

We must also avoid exaggerated,
panic-inducing statements and wild speculation. Rumors concerning "black
helicopters" mobilized to suppress opposition to the new world order, the
imminent invasion of America by United Nations troops, or weather modification
scares must not be repeated as fact by our members or attributed to The John
Birch Society. These rumors misrepresent the Conspiracy's strategy and ignore
the layers of strength the Conspiracy has yet to overcome. They ignore the fact
that the Conspiracy still needs to practice deception and patient gradualism. It
is entirely possible that rumors of this sort are planted by the enemy for the
purpose of destroying credibility and keeping good people chasing non-existent
dragons.

The Conspiracy does not work
along the lines indicated by many of those rumors. For example, there are no
plans for the UN to make a military assault on the United States. That is
contrary to the scheme; Insider plans call for America to enslave itself by
legislating away its freedom and independence in a subtle, step-by-step process.
A military attack by the UN would destroy that plan, which is now
moving very
nicely in the direction wanted by the Conspiracy. Also, a sudden, UN military
assault on the United States would be a dead giveaway - it would alert all
Americans, who would rise up and throw off the enemy. A UN attack would destroy
a half-century of propaganda propping up the world body as the only hope for
peace. Such an act would be devastating to the Conspiracy and its UN foundation
for world government. And above all, an overt attack would destroy the
step-by-step plan for Americans to be kept in ignorance while they enslave
themselves.

This tangent addresses false
alarms that stem from a false notion of the Conspiracy and its modus operandi.
We realize the Conspiracy has used and will use real violence and terror to
create enough fear to induce more laws, regulations, and government controls
over the American people. Terrorist attacks on the United States serve the
Conspiracy well, creating the fear needed for passage of severe legislation that
Americans would ordinarily oppose. Members and friends must not waste time on
enemy-induced tangents and spurious rumors that make us look ridiculous, destroy
our credibility, and take us away from dispensing bona fide information. Our
progress in enlisting new members in effective organized action is the only
thing the Conspiracy fears.

(3) ANTI-SEMITISM.

(The Communists) have dupes
and agents clamoring incessantly that the Society is anti-Semitic; and at the
very same time they have agents provocateurs everywhere trying to
persuade members of the Society that the whole Communist movement is simply a
Jewish conspiracy, and that these members are wasting their time in The John
Birch Society because its leaders do not have the courage to name the enemy.
And by this typical Communist method, they have made anti-Semitism into one
of the most powerful weapons in their whole arsenal of destruction.

Anti-Jewish sentiment does great
harm to the struggle for truth and justice in America, particularly when bad
feelings toward the descendants of Judah translate into unfair treatment or
persecution. Anti-Semitism thrives on hatred and makes a mockery of man's
God-given rights to "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness," which we valiantly
defend. Those unalienable rights belong to men and women of every race, color,
creed, and nationality.

Anti-Semitism is
particularly harmful in the battle for freedom because bad feelings toward Jews
tend to preoccupy and warp the thinking of otherwise capable people. Deeply
biased individuals nearly always end up on a futile course that eventually takes
them entirely out of the freedom battle. Their racist sentiments make them
useless to the legitimate cause that others, with God's help, so earnestly
pursue. Burdened with a repugnant fixation, they are unable to influence the
many other responsible Americans who need
to
be recruited into organized, constructive action.

It is important to note that
anti-Semitism, in relation to the present struggle, has been traced to a
spurious document known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This
publication is widely recognized as a fabrication. Robert Welch believed that
the Protocols were a fraud perpetrated by Nikolai Lenin. He wrote that
Lenin (pictured right) needed a mechanism for drawing fire away from himself, so he made up the
whole idea of a Zionist plot. Lenin, along with his collaborators, conspired to
misdirect blame for the deeds of Communists onto the Jews. They promoted the
notion that the Jews were the real force behind Communism. The Protocols
are supposed to prove that the Jews have long plotted to take control of the
world by methods actually
being
employed by the Communists.

Anti-Semitism is worse
than a tangent - it is a trap from which few escape once they become obsessed
with bad feelings toward the Jewish people. Patriotic citizens who develop such
an obsession are not welcome in The John Birch Society. They are of no value to
the freedom battle. Nothing is more dishonest or vicious than charges that The
John Birch Society is racist or anti-Semitic. Ironically, among the
organizations that have circulated this defamatory allegation is the
Anti-Defamation League. Men and
women who look into this charge realize they
have been lied to when they discover highly capable Jewish members serving at
all
levels of The John Birch Society. There is a large body of patriotic Jews in the
United States who will stand up and help The Birch Society throw off the chains
of tyranny once they learn that The John
Birch Society is one of their valiant defenders.

-Robert Welch (pictured right), November 1996,
Bulletin

(4) RELIGIOUS
NEUTRALISM

Do not yield to
either of the two great psychological weapons which the Insiders are now using
more extensively and more forcefully than even a decade ago. First is the
argument that we should simply go home, repent our sins, and pray, thus leaving
the outcome of this struggle entirely up to God. We urge you to pray, by all
means, whenever you feel that prayer is in order; but never stop working against
a Conspiracy that is already destroying the freedom to worship God at all
wherever it can do so. - Robert Welch, September 1976 Bulletin

America's religious
foundations is essential to restoring freedom and truth. The John Birch Society
is not a religious organization; however, most of its members are devoutly
religious, and their enduring faith
provides
them with a foundation of hope for achieving success in the secular affairs of
our nation. A few of our best citizens, however, have withheld their time,
labor, and resources from the cause of freedom under the belief that
only worship and prayer can save our nation in its present "fallen" state. They
feel that it is too late to work for freedom because the world is already doomed
to destruction and that the end is near. A few individuals go even further by
hoping to hasten the "Day of the Lord" by allowing evil to flourish.

A widely accepted,
biblically based position regarding the end of the world is that "not even
the angels of heaven know the day nor the hour," and therefore,
no
one can profess to know when the Lord will come or when the world will end. In
the meantime, we sense a profoundly sacred duty to resist evil and promote good
at every opportunity. Most religious Americans understand that God has given
them that responsibility. Moreover, they accept that all men
everywhere are bound by humane conscience to oppose oppression and evil, save
lives, liberate captives, and pronounce the truth as quickly as it becomes known
to them. It is when people do not follow their
conscience
and do not take steps to oppose evil that evil has prevailed - punishing
everyone including those of their own faith and their loved ones.

A belief formerly
prominent among almost all Christian sect - sometimes attributed to St.
Augustine but dating back to the Apostles - can be summarized as follows : "Pray
as if it were all up to God, but work as if it were all up to me." This is a
good maxim that should keep us on course as we work and pray for freedom in this
troubled world.

For any further information please
phone Doug Giddings on (08) 8294 2767 or write to PO Box 140, Glenelg, South
Australia 5045